Return to Am Boxing April 2021 ENGLAND BOXING OFF THE ROPES: RETURN TO BOXING FRAMEWORK April 2021 1 Return to Am Boxing April 2021 OFF THE ROPES: GUIDANCE TOWARDS A FULL RETURN TO AMATEUR BOXING April 2021 Dear Members, Following the Government’s latest updates, set out below are key considerations and guidance in order that a phased return of the sport can be implemented in accordance with the government requirements so that the process towards a return to full boxing can start. Please be assured that England Boxing’s number one priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our clubs, members, volunteers and staff. The organisation will continue to communicate regularly and directly with our clubs and members, and issue further guidance and supporting documentation as it becomes available. As stated in previous updates, by its very nature, boxing poses a greater risk from COVID-19 than most other sporting activities. This reality is reflected in international advice as well as in this country. We also have to recognise that some members of the boxing community are more vulnerable to this virus than those in some other sports. England Boxing would like to, once again, recognise and pay tribute to those within the boxing community who have lost their lives and their loved ones. England Boxing would also like to thank the boxing community for coming together at this difficult time, whether you are a boxer, coach, official, volunteer or staff member supporting our sport and our local communities. Detailed below is what has been agreed with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in order to allow the phased return of boxing. It is important that these policies and the more broader government guidelines are followed if we want to be able to return to full boxing. Failure to do so will lead to enforcement and sanctions and could delay the return of the sport overall. 2 Return to Am Boxing April 2021 There are, of course, likely to be many other issues, some foreseeable and others not, that will need to be overcome before amateur boxing can fully resume. In the meantime, England Boxing will do everything it can to provide as much information, guidance and support to you through these unprecedented times. If you have any specific queries, please do not hesitate to contact England Boxing (email: [email protected]) or your Club Support Officer. Yours faithfully, Gethin Jenkins Chief Executive England Boxing 3 Return to Am Boxing April 2021 GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON THE RETURN OF AMATEUR BOXING In developing this guidance in order to allow the return of amateur boxing, a summary of the considerations highlighted by the government is detailed below. Also factored in is the more broader government guidelines and policies currently in place regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic. These will be updated as required. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-grassroots-sports-guidance-for- safe-provision-including-team-sport-contact-combat-sport-and-organised-sport- events Coronavirus (COVID-19): grassroots sports guidance for the public and sport providers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The general COVID Pandemic advice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus Specific points are highlighted as follows: The purpose of this guidance is to provide the necessary mitigations to enable the return of recreational contact combat sport. The framework below recognises the inherent risk in contact combat sport and is designed to minimise COVID-19 transmission risk and enable participants to make an informed decision about their own risk. According to current evidence, COVID-19 is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces – usually those that are frequently touched but also direct contact with an infected person. Airborne transmission is possible in specific settings where certain procedures or sports treatments are performed in close proximity. In the context of what is known about COVID-19 transmission, about combat sport and about the incidence of asymptomatic but still infectious illness, combat sport is a high-risk activity. Almost all human-to-human transmission is likely to occur at close range (<2m). Contact combat sports involve very close range and sustained contact with other people, and all participants must be made aware of this inherent risk. In developing and implementing these plans the following factors need to be considered. According to current evidence, COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces – usually those that are frequently touched. Airborne transmission is possible in specific settings where certain procedures or sports treatments are performed in close proximity. Each action plan should include an assessment of the transmission risk within that sport, based on three key variables: 4 Return to Am Boxing April 2021 • Droplet transmission: The risk associated with each action in an activity based on duration and proximity of participants. By using the framework, sports can determine the risk of actions in their match play environment – anything, for example, from tackling, to bowling, to restart – which will then determine the overall level of risk of taking part in that sport. • Fomite transmission: The risk associated with the handling and transfer of equipment in the sport. • Population: The number of participants likely to take part in the proposed activity, plus known risk factors of participants with underlying health conditions or high-risk groups who wish to participate. The key generic principles in developing this framework and when implementing the guidelines are as follows: Sport providers should put in place measures to limit transmission risk from activity, including: 1. Limiting the time spent congregating at a venue before and after sporting activity. This could involve having strict meeting times or staggering start times and advising participants to arrive in kit and ready to warm-up. There is also a risk during training sessions and waiting for activity to take place. Mixing in these cases should also be minimised and face coverings worn except when actively exercising. 2. Minimising use of changing rooms and shower facilities. Changing rooms and shower facilities can be used, but participants must adhere to gathering limits while indoors, and maintain social distancing wherever possible. You should encourage participants to avoid or minimise use where possible (e.g. by arriving in kit and showering at home) and to minimise the time they spend in the changing area. Team talks/briefings and other gatherings should not take place in changing rooms under any circumstances. Access should be maintained for those with disabilities, and will be important for sports such as swimming, or outdoor sports in bad weather. 3. Ensuring that participants maintain social distancing throughout warm-ups and when not on the field of play (e.g. awaiting substitutions), and limit higher-risk activities like spitting or shouting (particularly when facing each other). 4. Ensuring that participants adhere to legal gathering limits. Social interaction before and after playing any sport should only take place in separate and distinct groups consisting of up to 6 people (tier 1) or limited to people from the same household or support bubble (tiers 2 and 3). Exceptions may be made where safety and safeguarding measures require this, such as supporting participants with disabilities (though minimal time should be spent waiting or in changing rooms). 5. Avoiding equipment-sharing where possible. Teams should limit the number of players handling the same ball during warm-ups, and ensure the balls are frequently sanitised. 6. Advising participants to bring their own water bottles and ensure they are labelled or highly distinguishable. Water bottles or other refreshment containers should not be shared under any circumstances. 7. Advising participants to take their kit home to wash it themselves, rather than have one person handling a large quantity of soiled materials. Where kit 5 Return to Am Boxing April 2021 absolutely has to be shared or kept together (for example last minute stand-in players, shortage of kit, or an essential club function), each person handling it must wash or sanitise their hands immediately after. In order to address this, there will be phased return set out as follows: By following the steps below, it will allow amateur boxing to take place with appropriate mitigations, whilst maintaining appropriate compliance with social distancing and legal gathering limits. This is only permitted if this guidance for each sport is fully implemented by England Boxing, including an action plan which takes into account risks and mitigations for the relevant sport. Compliance with legal gathering limits and social distancing must be maintained at all times when not in training or competition. Stepped Approach to Return: The design of the roadmap has been guided by some important principles. In the absence of significant regional disparity, the Government will ease restrictions at the same time across the whole of England. Due to the current relatively uniform spread of the virus across the country, the four steps out of lockdown set out in the roadmap are designed to apply to all regions. Decisions on easing restrictions will be led by data rather than dates. It takes around four weeks for the data to show the impact of easing restrictions and the Government will provide a further week’s notice to the public and businesses ahead of any further changes. For that reason, there will be at least five weeks between the steps in the roadmap. The indicative, ‘no earlier than’ dates in the roadmap are all contingent on the data and subject to change. At each step DCMS will confirm to England Boxing which Phase applies in order that Boxing can return. England Boxing will then, in turn, confirm to the membership which stage applies.